There was no doubt who the happiest Edmonton Oiler was at practice on Monday.
“I haven’t quit smiling since I heard the news,” said defenceman Brandon Davidson, who was claimed off waivers from Montreal on Sunday.
This will be Davidson’s second time around with the Oilers. He was drafted by the club in the sixth round in 2010. After playing 91 games with the Oilers, he was traded to Montreal for David Desharnais on Feb. 28.
“Looking back, this is really where I’ve always wanted to be. Moving forward, there’s a lot of opportunity here for me still. I do feel like this is home. This is where my comfort is,” said Davidson, 26, who was paired with Andrej Sekera at practice.
“We’re excited about having him here,” said head coach Todd McLellan. “We’ll try to keep his confidence back up. When we play him, we’ll still determine that as we move forward.”
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers hoping to rebuild Brossoit’s confidence after tough third period in Calgary
Davidson will be happy to land anywhere in the Oilers lineup. With the Canadiens, he played in just 13 of their 28 games. He’d been a healthy scratch the last five games.
“I think most players can talk about confidence and how comfortable can they feel on the ice. That’s something I’d lost. Not something that’s gone, but something I’ve lost,” explained Davidson.
“I really just need to get on the ice and have some ice time.”
Adam Larsson didn’t practice on Monday and remains on injured reserve. There’s a chance he could be back for Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia, but if not, Davidson will be an option.
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers claim Brandon Davidson off waivers
Another waiver claim joined the Oilers on Monday. Nathan Walker, 23, was claimed from the Washington Capitals on Friday. He’s the first Australian to make it to the NHL, having played seven games for the Caps this season.
“I went to the Hockey Hall of Fame when I was eight or nine. We bought all the Wayne Gretzky video,” Walker recalled. “We’d go home and put that in the VCR and watch that for hours.”
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers claim Nathan Walker off waivers
Connor McDavid missed Monday’s practice with an illness.